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It took Jeff Schmidt more than seventeen hours to reach the finish line of the Kona 2012 Ironman World Championships. And that wasn't even the tough part. (Published Wednesday, Nov 28, 2012)

Updated at 1:36 PM PDT on Thursday, Nov 29, 2012

More than 17 hours after the starter's pistol had fired, and a half hour after the finish line had officially closed, Jeff Schmidt of San Jose emerged from the darkness and approached the end of the Kona 2012 Ironman World Championships.

Jeff was, by far, the last competitor to finish the race.

Race officials had told him hours earlier he wouldn't get to the finish line before it closed, but Jeff ignored their warnings and kept running. He says he had come too far, not just in this race, but in life to quit now.